The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-22
PALATKA, FLA, FEB. 90. 1887.
The Plain Facts.

scented to the people of Florida for many
years. This report declares that the
Company has accomplished nothing of
permanent value. after years of work and
the presumed expenditure of much
money.
Now it is fact, that the COmrany
has contract with the State which en-
titles it to one half of the land reclaimed.
Under this contract about one million
acres have be,n patented to the Com
pany by the Trustees of the Internal
Improvement Fund acting for the State.
These .'overflowed lands" were pat
ented to the State by the United States
"for purposes of Internal improvement"
therefore the contract with the Com
pany was entirely proper, and we have
no doubt that the report is correct
when it declares the plan one which
will benefit the State and company alike.
Doubtless also the work is one which
an adequate expenditure and well di-
rected effort can push to successful
issue.
Ii is also true that the Trustees have
had the work repeatedly inspected-that
in 1884 or 1885 three sets of engineers en-
dorsed the claims of the Company, ap-
proved the work and accepted the seem
ing result as permanent. On these re-
ports the deeds Of land to the company
acre based.
Now comes a committee consisting of
thra.,
trustworthy, as possessing in high de-
gree the confidence of our people-whose
ability and judicial impartiality warrant
the trust reposed in them-this COM
mittee spends months in careful investi-
CATION and report that the Company has
accomplished no permanent good.
Now for the accomplishment of this
nothing, the State has paid about one
million acres of land, much of it exceed
ingly fertile, and destined. in the opinion
of the committee, to become valuable
within a short time,
Our esteemed contemporary of Jack
sonville, the Uorning Ne,cs, deprecates
the conclusions we draw from these
premises-reminds Us that the report
recommends the encouragement of the
company, the patience of the public, and
opposes an investigation by the Legisla
ture. We haze dra,cn oar orn cOncl,,-
sions-and for these ace are responsible,
not the committee. If we fail to find the
facts as stated, our conclusions fall-not
before. Does the Morning Neacs dispute
the facts? Not one of them. The COM
pany should have made no claim until
and permanent results could be shown.
1t has made claims which are not JUS
titled by the facts in the case-trusted
officials have certified to a state of facts
which does not exist, and therefore the
Legislature is bound in justice and COM
mon sense to investigate fully and thor
oughly. There is little room to doubt the
correctness of a report made y Messrs.
Daniel, Davidson and Bradford, and the
admitted facts lead to ugly conclusions.
The necessary steps will be;immediately
taken by the Attorney General at the re-
quest of the Governor, and the whole
matter will lie thoroughly investigated.
When the Legislature meets it need only
call for the figures, and all the data will
be ready. Nothing will be hushed up or
suppressed by the Perry administration.
The interests of the State are concerned,
and the people have right to the pos.
session of all the facts.
Our conte mporary speaks "by author
ity,' when it urges that the wishes OF
the committee be observed and the mat
ter kept out of the courts. If the com>
pany will assure the State against loss
work, as the committee hopes it WiU do,
then we agree that compromise, mu-
tually profitable, would be much better
than an appeal to law. But the COM
pany is at present the beneficiary of a
robbery, unless the committee errs, and
il must show an entire Willingness to
straighten the record. We care moth
ing Cor the authority whose judgments
do not conform to the rules Of Justice
and common sense. The authority of
the committee is of great weight with
the people, and its advice will be fol
lowed if the company shows itself
equally bound by it. We cannot be-
lieve that a million of acres can be taken
without equivalent, save by the collision
or fraud of somebody, and every step to
clear up the mystery must be immedi-
ately taken. If only the robber be
blameworthy, let's find him. If nobody
is guilty, let's correct the record. 1t is
unjust to the innocent, it is false re-